Patch cutting and application system for two independently timed patches on an envelope blank

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS WHEREBY WINDOW ENVELOPES ARE PROVIDED WITH TWO OR MORE WINDOWS HAVING A PATCH CUTTING AND APPLICATION SYSTEM IN WHICH THE MECHANISM PREPARES AND FEEDS INDEPENDENTLY TIMED WINDOW PATCHES TO THE APPROPRIATE LOCATION ON EACH OF THE WINDOW ENVELOPES. THE MECHANISM UTILIZES SUITABLE INDEPENDENT CUTTING CYLINDER TOGETHER WITH A PATCH TRANSFER CYLINDER AND ONE OF THE CUTTING CYLINDERS TRANSFERS THE CUT PATCHES TO A COLLATING CYLINDER.

Dec. 26, 1972 PATCH CUTTING AND APP TIMED PAT Filed Oct. 19. 1970 W. HELM TION SYSTEM ON AN ENVE 3,707,422 INDEPENDENTLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR kzeszzer M //4 4/ ATTO NEYS H. W. HELM Dec. 26, 1972 PATCH CUTTING AND APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR TWO INDEPENDENTLY TIMED PATCHES ON AN ENVELOPE BLANK 3 Sheets-Shem Filed Oct. 19, 1970 mvmon kflazzr M #5444 m Mai ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1972 H. w. HELM 3,707,422

PATCH CUTTING AND APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR TWO INDEPENDENTLY xiseewr M/Va M Wag 12M." ATTO NEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,707,422 Patented Dec. 26, 1972 3,707,422 PATCH CUTTING AND APPLICATION SYSTEM FOR TWO INDEPENDENTLY TIMED PATCHES ON AN ENVELOPE BLANK Herbert W. Helm, Hollidaysburg, Pa., assignor to F. L. Smithe Machine Company, Inc., Duncansville, Pa. Filed Oct. 19, 1970, Ser. No. 82,038 Int. Cl. B31b 1/24; B65c N02 US. Cl. 156-511 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many window envelopes are provided with two windows; one for the addressee and one for the sender spaced a distance apart therefrom. Obviously, it is more economical to provide two separate window patches over the separate and spaced window openings instead of one large patch covering both window openings.

Thus, the present invention contemplates the application of transparent patches to the window openings of Window envelopes and the like. The patches are cut off from moving window web strips, such as glassine, that are preferably supplied in rolls. There are at least two separate rolls that are fed to patch cutters in which the window web strips are cut and supplied into portions of the required dimensions to thereby cover the windows. In addition, the cutter cylinders and the transfer cylinder are provided with vacuum ports that are selectively connected to a vacuum manifold, the latter in turn being connected to a vacuum source.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a patch cutting and application system for two independently timed patches on an envelope blank.

The two patches are provided on each envelope blank by means of a cutting cylinder which functions both as a cutting cylinder for one patch and as an application cylinder for said one patch, as well as an application cylinder for the other patch.

The pre-panelled, pre-gummed envelope blank is provided with adhesive for both patches just prior to the application of the patches to the window openings having gummed portions at the marginal edges thereof.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a collating cylinder having a leading edge vacuum bar and pressure bars adjustable relative to the patches on the adjacent cutting cylinder.

The invention will now be further described with reference to a preferred embodiment as shown in the drawings appended hereto, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic assembly view of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutting cylinders for both patches together with a patch transfer cylinder and an envelope blank collating cylinder co-acting therewith.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the completed envelope blank with the two spaced window patches thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The patch cutting and application system for two or more spaced window patches comprises a window web supply roll 10 for the glassine web W1 of station 2 which passes around the turn roll 12 and through pull rolls 14 and 16 and around turn roll 18 to rotating cutter wheel 20 for cut-off station 2. A stationary cutter 22 co-acts with the cutter 21 of rotating cutter wheel 20 in order to cut the patch to the predetermined size. A drive arrangement referred to generally by the numeral 24 is operatively connected to pull rolls 14 and 16 as clearly seen in FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotating cutter wheel 20 is shown provided with a plurality of vacuum holes 26 selectively connected to vacuum manifold 28, the latter being in communication with a vacuum source (not shown) through conduit 30.

Patch transfer cylinder 46 is provided with vacuum holes 47 connected to a vacuum manifold 49. Likewise, rotating cutter wheel 40 has vacuum holes 41 connected to vacuum manifold 43.

As is well known, the vacuum in the vacuum holes may be selectively cut off and bled to atmosphere, or air under pressure forced through the holes in order to properly transfer the cut patches from roll to roll.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a second window web supply roll 32 is shown with a drive arrangement 24a for the glassine web W2 of station 1 which passes through pull rolls 34 and 36 and around turn roll 38 to rotating cutter wheel 40 for cut-off station 1. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a stationary cutter 42 co-acts with the cutter 44 of the rotating cutter wheel 40 in order to cut a window patch from Web W2 to a predetermined size.

Located in between and in abutting engagement with rotating cutter wheels 20 and 40 is a patch transfer cylinder 46. On the other side of rotating cutter wheel 40 and in abutting engagement therewith is a process cylinder such as a collating cylinder 48 which delivers the preformed, pregummed envelope blanks B, as shown in FIG. 2, to a position whereby at least two window patches are placed in a proper spaced relationship on each envelope blank.

The finished product appears as is shown in FIG. 4, with the glassine windows secured at two locations on the envelope blank.

The process cylinder in this case a collating cylinder 48 for delivery of the preformed, pregummed envelope blanks B is provided with several groups of bars in [which a vacuum bar 50 picks up the leading edge B1 of the blank B and the pressure bars 52 and 54 are adjustable to be located ahead each of openings 01 and 02 of the blank B so that the timed patches P1 and P2 are pressed against the corresponding openings 01 and 02 by means of cylinder 40 working against the pressure bars 52 and 54 with the respective window patches therebetween.

It should be apparent that if it is desired to use both station 1 and station 2 for two patches the patch cut from station 1 is cut on rotating cutter wheel 40 which also acts as a transfer cylinder in order to transfer the cut patch directly to the collating cylinder 48, and the cut patch from station 2 is cut on rotating cutter wheel 20 and picked up by patch transfer cylinder 46', transferred to rotating cutter wheel 40 which functions in this instance as a transfer device for the patch to collating cylinder 48. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the patches P1 and P2 are so located on the cylinder 40 and held thereon by vacuum, that they are precisely placed on the envelope blank B over the openings 0-1 and O2.

It should be noted that the rolls 20, 40 and 46 all rotate at the same surface speed. As seen in FIG. 2, the collating cylinder 48 has a main drive shaft 56 provided with a large gear 58 meshing with gear 60 mounted on the drive shaft 62 of roll 40. Gear 60 in turn meshes with intermediate gear 64, the latter in turn meshing with gear 66 mounted on the shaft 68 of roll 20. The gear 66 furthermore meshes with the gear 70 mounted on the shaft 72 of the patch transfer cylinder 46. Thus a single main drive on the collating cylinder 48 drives rolls 20, 40 and 46 respectively.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for window patch cutting and applying two independently timed patches on window openings in each envelope blank and the like comprising a process cylinder adapted for rotation, a plurality of prepanelled, pre-gummed envelope blanks movable over said process cylinder, a first window web strip, a first stationary cutter, a first rotating cutting cylinder co-acting with said first stationary cutter, means for supplying said first window web strip to an area between said first rotating cutting cylinder and said first stationary cutter to form a first group of individual patches, said first rotating cutting cylinder having means for holding said first group of patches thereon and transferring them to a second rotating cutting cylinder, a second window web strip, a second stationary cutter, said second rotating cutting cylinder co-acting with said second stationary cutter, and means for supplying said second window web strip to an area between said second rotating cutting cylinder and said second cutter to form a second group of individual patches, said second rotating cutting cylinder having means for holding both said first and second groups of patches thereon and transferring them to said process cylinder whence said first and second groups of individual patches are applied to the appropriate window openings in said envelopes.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a patch transfer cylinder adjacent to and abutting said first and second rotating cutting cylinders for transferring said first patches to said second rotating cutting cylinder.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said process cylinder is a collating cylinder provided with at least two pressure bars and at least one leading edge vacuum bar, said vacuum bar constituting means for holding an envelope blank to said collating cylinder.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotating cutting cylinders are provided with a plurality of vacuum ports in the external surfaces thereof, and means for connecting selected vacuum ports to a source of vacuum.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said leading edge bar is provided with a vacuum in order to hold down each of the leading edges of the envelope blanks, and said pressure bars are adapted to provide the proper contact pressure between each of said patches and the corresponding envelope blank.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said pressure bars are adjustable relative to each other and angularly relative to the collating cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,880,656 4/1959 Welsh 156-514 X 1,275,788 8/1918 Swift 156-514 X 2,072,875 3/1937 Gray 156-514 X 2,819,656 1/1958 Patterson 156-511 X 3,190,784 6/1965 Heydon et a1 156-511 3,341,390 9/1967 Kirk 156-511 3,367,822 2/1968 Hofiler 156-567 X 3,565,730 2/1971 Weisshuhn 156-514 X 3,550,509 12/1970 Mittermayer 156-567 X 3,582,437 6/1971 Lenk 156-521 3,586,585 6/1971 Kirk et a1. 156-521 3,607,579 9/1971 Enskat 15652l X 3,429,237 2/1969 Subklew 93-61 HAROLD ANSHER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

